"Now that the noise from the general-election spinmeisters has settled down to a dull roar, it�s time to look at where Jon Tester managed to pull off his slender victory over three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. As with all things political, the picture depends on the analysis presented.

First, the facts: Sen. Tester beat Sen. Burns by 2,735 votes, according to unofficial results, but he won in just 15 out of Montana�s 56 counties. The 15, in descending order from the largest margin for Sen. Tester to the smallest, were Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Big Horn, Missoula, Glacier, Hill, Roosevelt, Lewis and Clark, Blaine, Rosebud, Sheridan, Park, Cascade, Lake and Mineral.

The central and eastern parts of the state generally went for Sen. Burns, including the typically GOP-dominated counties of Flathead, Yellowstone, Ravalli, Beaverhead, Broadwater and Jefferson.

The rural and Indian votes were also important in the Montana U.S. Senate race, with voters in quite a few sparsely populated areas turning out for Sen. Tester."

Get the Story:
Cathy Siegner: Indian vote, big counties pushed Tester over top (The Billings Outpost 11/22)

Montana Election Results:
U.S. Senate (Montana Secretary of State)

Relevant Links:
Jon Tester for US Senate - http://www.testerforsenate.com
Conrad Burns for Senate - http://www.conradburns.com
Sen. Conrad Burns - http://burns.senate.gov
Montana Republican Party - http://www.mtgop.org
Montana Democratic Party - http://www.montanademocrats.org

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